Every November, hundreds of thousands of writers participate in a month-long writing marathon that’s called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.
The goal? Complete a 50,000 word novel from start to finish. You’re allowed to plan and plot, but the actual content of the novel can only be written in November to be counted.
I’ve personally done NaNoWriMo two times: once in 2009 and again in 2011. It was a lot of fun; not only for the writing part, but for how social it is!
Through the official NaNoWriMo organization, you can join regional groups around the world that have different meet-ups throughout the month. Some regions — like West Michigan — have very active groups that meet multiple times a week. The meetings are held in public spaces and provide a place for writers to be encouraged to get their daily word count done (along with food, snacks, games, and prizes). I loved it because it was a great way to meet other writers — especially since writing can tend to be such a solitary activity.
Anyway, this year I’ve decided to do NaNoWriMo again for a few different reasons…
- Because it’s fun! And I can use some more fun in my life!
- It’s on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list and this is my last chance to get it done.
- My final Master’s project (the biggest reason)
I had a lot of delays and changes at the beginning of the semester that left me with some tight deadlines to create my Master’s project — and those deadlines are swiftly approaching. I feel like NaNoWriMo will give me a fun way to attack the massive amount of work that I need to accomplish.
In the past, I’ve seen other people mention that they were working on their theses during the month and now it’s my turn. Now, I won’t be writing fiction, but what matters to me is cranking out a lot of content.
According to the NaNoWriMo guidelines, a daily word count of 1,667 will get you to the winner’s circle. So, that’s my goal, too.
But unlike in the past where I just wrote in a very verbose and impromptu manner, the goal for me is to write coherent, usable pieces. The way I think I will accomplish this is by using NaNoWriMo to fuel my rough drafts and word count, but then editing quickly after that.
Now usually NaNoWriMo is not about editing — it’s about the joy that comes with just putting words to a screen (or paper if you’re old school). December is considered the time to edit, but because of my deadlines, I’ve gotta edit as I go.
I doubt I will be blogging much during November (I mean, even less than my once-a-week schedule I’ve kinda been doing since summer) but I will be likely posting on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. I will also be keeping track of my word count on my NaNoWriMo page (if you’re participating, let’s be friends!)
Here’s to a November to Remember — I hope it helps me to be fruitful and successful with my goals!
Have you ever heard of NaNoWriMo? Have you ever participated?
I’m currently in my last semester as a Master’s graduate student. To make sure I complete my thesis successfully, I’m writing regular updates about it on this blog for accountability. Read more posts about my progress.
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